terminus
pronunciation
How to pronounce terminus in British English:
UK [ˈtɜ:mɪnəs]
How to pronounce terminus in American English:
US [ˈtɜrmɪnəs]
-
- Noun:
- a place where something ends or is complete
- the ultimate goal for which something is done
- (architecture) a statue or a human bust or an animal carved out of the top of a square pillar; originally used as a boundary marker in ancient Rome
- either end of a railroad or bus route
- station where transport vehicles load or unload passengers or goods
Word Origin
- terminus (n.)
- 1550s, "goal, end, final point," from Latin terminus (plural termini) "end, boundary line," from PIE *ter-men-, from root *ter-, base of words meaning "peg, post, boundary, marker, goal" (cognates: Sanskrit tarati "passes over, crosses over," tarantah "sea;" Hittite tarmaizzi "he limits;" Greek terma "boundary, end, limit;" Gothic þairh, Old English þurh "through;" Old English þyrel "hole;" Old Norse þrömr "edge, chip, splinter"). In ancient Rome, Terminus was the name of the deity who presided over boundaries and landmarks, focus of the important Roman festival of Terminalia (held Feb. 23, the end of the old Roman year). Meaning "either end of a transportation line" is first recorded 1836.
Example
- 1. The aquatic endpoint of such a glacier is known as a terminus .
- 2. The other terminus , meanwhile , actually is at shanghai 's domestic airport .
- 3. Manchester became the terminus of the line that carried cotton to and from docks at liverpool .
- 4. " It was a terminus for the gold caravans crossing the sahara , " he said .
- 5. The terrorists sprayed the platforms of the main railway terminus with bullets , attacked bars frequented by foreign backpackers and killed hostages in five-star hotels and a jewish centre .